Battersea Power Station LONDON
Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station, located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Nine Elms, Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It was built by the London Power Company (LPC) to the design of Leonard Pearce, Engineer in Chief to the LPC, and CS Allott & Son Engineers. The architects were J. Theo Halliday and Giles Gilbert Scott.
The station is one of the world's largest brick buildings and notable for its original Art Deco interior fittings and decor.
The building comprises two power stations, built in two stages, in a single building. Battersea A Power Station was built between 1929 and 1935 and Battersea B Power Station, to its east, between 1937 and 1941, when construction was paused owing to the worsening effects of the Second World War.
The building was completed in 1955. "Battersea B" was built to a design nearly identical to that of "Battersea A", creating the iconic four-chimney structure.
The building remained empty until 2014, during which time it fell into near ruin. Various plans were made to make use of the building, but none were successful.
In 2012, administrators Ernst & Young entered into an agreement with Malaysia's S P Setia and Sime Darby to develop the site to include residential, bars, restaurants, office space (occupied by Apple and others), shops and entertainment spaces.
The plans were approved and redevelopment commenced a few years later. The main Power Station building was opened to the public in October 2022.
The structure remained largely unused for more than 30 years after its closure; in 2008 its condition was described as "very bad" by English Heritage.
Control Room B Bar.
Control Room B Bar.
Until the late 1930s, electricity was supplied by municipal undertakings. These were small power companies that built power stations dedicated to a single industry or group of factories, and sold any excess electricity to the public.
The London Power Company's first of these super power stations was planned for the Battersea area, on the south bank of the River Thames in London. The proposal was made in 1927, for a station built in two stages and capable of generating 400 megawatts (MW) of electricity when complete.
The site was chosen for its proximity to the River Thames for cooling water and coal delivery, and because it was in the heart of London, the station's immediate supply area
Both of the stations were designed by a team of architects and engineers. The team was headed by Leonard Pearce, the chief engineer of the London Power Company, but a number of other notable engineers were also involved
This legendary London landmark and surrounding area has been brought back to life as one of the most exciting and innovative mixed use neighbourhoods in the world – a place for locals, tourists and residents to enjoy a unique blend of over 140 shops, bars, restaurants, leisure and entertainment venues, parks and historical spaces. A place to shop, eat, drink, live, work and play; here life doesn’t feel ordinary, it feels extraordinary.
Opening Hours
The shops inside the Power Station are open from 10am to 9pm Monday – Saturday and 12pm to 6pm on Sunday. Cafes, bars, restaurants, Lift 109 and the Cinema are often open earlier and later, please check the individual retailer pages for specific opening hours.
For Christmas Opening Hours, click here.
GETTING TO BATTERSEA POWER STATION:
THE TUBE
Battersea Power Station now has its own Zone 1 Underground station on the Northern Line. The station entrance/exit is situated on Battersea Park Road.
There are also a number of other London Underground stations within easy reach:
Sloane Square (Zone 1, Circle and District lines). A 12 minute walk via Ranelagh Gardens and Chelsea Bridge or a five minute bus ride on routes 452 and 137.
Victoria (Zone 1, Circle, District and Victoria lines). A 20 minute walk via Buckingham Palace Road, Ebury Bridge Road and Chelsea Bridge or a ten minute bus ride on route 44. Victoria is also a major railway terminus and bus station with a dedicated express service connecting to Gatwick Airport.
Vauxhall (Zones 1 and 2, Victoria line). A 20 minute walk via Nine Elms Lane or a five minute bus ride on routes 156, 344 and 436, with entry to Battersea Power Station via Pump House Lane.
The nearest bus stop to the entrance at Pump House Lane is ‘Battersea Power Station’. The following buses serve this stop: 156, 344, 436. From here, cross the road to the entrance at Pump House Lane, and walk along the pedestrian route to Circus West Road (10 mins).